


Skating Among The Stars

by MyNameIsRochelleRae



Series: Christmas Special [3]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Ice Skating, Multi, Shore Leave
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-05
Updated: 2015-12-05
Packaged: 2018-05-05 02:43:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5357981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyNameIsRochelleRae/pseuds/MyNameIsRochelleRae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt<br/>Day 3: Ice Skating</p><p>The stars that shine so bright. The stars they fought so hard to protect. The stars that spun around and around as she spun around and around. Everything was perfect for now. Everything was just perfect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Skating Among The Stars

**Author's Note:**

> I SUCK! I was supposed to post this one a day but I have been swamped with school work this entire week and I had no time whatsoever to write. I will try to catch up with the stories tomorrow! I will probably be posting multiple chapters tomorrow to make up for it. 
> 
> I hope you do enjoy reading it.  
> Do leave me your opinions and constructive criticisms about the story for me.

“I miss ice skating.” Jane Shepard declared as she sat with her bowl at the mess hall. Sitting at the helm of the table, her crew stared at her blankly. Half of the crew sitting at the mess hall did not even know what ice skating was and it was clear on their face.

“What is this ice skating that you speak of Shepard?” Tali’Zorah vas Normandy asked, her voice confused. Her face could not be seen, but it was sure to be the same as the furrowed eyebrows and downturned lips of the rest of her teammates.

“Oh, I know about this! I read it in the books about humans!” Liara T’soni, the asari scientist jumped out and exclaimed. The humans looked her amused, but the rest of the aliens looked to her for knowledge.

“Ice skating is the moving on ice with ice skates, or shoes with blades. It can be used for leisure or even exercise. Ice skating can be done on special indoor prepared rinks or outdoors on frozen bodies of water.” Liara explained as Shepard remembered the last time she skated on ice. It was way back when she was younger. The weight of the world was not sitting on her shoulders yet, she was young, wild and free. Shepard shook her head, making the thoughts go away.

“Really Shepard, ice skating?” Joker laughed as he lowered himself on the chair with EDI helping him.

“Yeah ice skating, I will have you know, I won first place at figure skating when I was a child. I just missed those times of freedom on the ice. Now there is no time for foolishness like that. We have to save the world from the Reapers. We have to.” Shepard tried to brush the entire ice skating thing off, but it seems like her crew were already buzzing about the information.

“Figure skating?” Garrus Vakarian asked, sliding his hand around Shepard’s waist. Shepard leaned closer towards the turian.

“I cannot imagine you skating so gracefully.” Joker threw an insult, but Shepard waved it off, laughing.

“Well, maybe I will prove it to you then.” Shepard joked as she remembered the pair of ice skates she stowed away deep in her cabin. She brought it to the ship as a joke, knowing that she would never have the opportunity to skate again. The crew laughed at the exchange. They moved on to another topic but Shepard was hung up on the idea.

 

“Shepard, what is on your mind? You seem distracted.” Garrus looked up from the book he was reading when Shepard joined him on the bed.

“I guess I was thinking about the ice skating thing that I talked about during dinner. I loved ice-skating. I still do.” Shepard looked at the compartment where she left her skates.

“Then why not do it again? There might not be another chance till after we beat the Reapers.” Garrus encouraged her. He knew she was feeling stressed from the Reaper invasion. Everyone knew. They tried to make her job as easy as possible, but it was not easy to convince the guardian of the universe to take a break occasionally.

“Garrus, you know why not. There is no time to relive silly old memories when I can be out there saving people.” Shepard burst out. She knew herself better than the rest; she was breaking apart. Not just a little bit of wear-and-tear. Shepard was falling apart.

“Just remember to come up for air sometimes. Not because everyone else needs you, but because I need you, Shepard.” Garrus kissed her forehead and set his datapad down. Shepard nodded as she lay under the covers, staring at where her skates were kept.

 

“Where are we EDI, we were supposed to head to Dranek system to rescue soldiers, what are we doing heading to Noveria?” Shepard walked towards the bridge where Joker and EDI were.

“Hey Shepard, you have not rested for weeks. Every day we go to multiple systems and planets to fight Cerberus or to save citizens. Sometimes we travel just to get minerals for upgrades. You need to relax!” Joker tried to explain.

“You will turn the ship back to the original path! What are we even going to do on Noveria?” Shepard pinched the bridge of her nose. Why did everyone think that she needed to relax? Sure she was falling apart but there is so much to do. She could relax when the job was done or when she was dead. Just not now.

“Even if you don’t feel tired, the rest of us do. You have been working us down to the bone recently. No shore leaves at all. We all agreed that we want to go to Noveria for a pit stop.” Kaidan walked up to the bridge, supporting Joker’s argument.

“Shepard, if you must, after dropping everyone, we can leave for the Dranek system.” EDI turned around and spoke.

“If you insist that we take shore leave, I guess a few hours will be good for everyone. I will stay to look over some records.” Shepard walked away, sighing. There was simply too much to take care of.

 

“Shepard, my love, what are you still doing here? Everyone is out on shore leave.” Shepard did not hear Garrus walk up to her and she jumped.

“I have to stay; I have to do more work. I have to prepare.” Shepard looked at reports on Thessia and Sur’Kesh. The Reapers were encroaching on their systems. She wondered how hard they would be hit.

“Please Shepard, for me. Just take a few hours. You need it the most and yet you are here.” Garrus wrapped his arms around Shepard’s waist. She moved closer to his hug.

“Damn it all Garrus, fine. All you have been bugging me to take a rest for weeks now.” She thought about the ice skates. _Noveria huh? Maybe I could skate again._

“That is because you have been working non-stop every day for weeks now. You need to rest or you will burn out soon. The universe needs you at your top form.” His voice was low and comforting. She looked away from the reports and looked out the window.

“Besides, you will not regret it.” He hinted at something further as he walked out of the war room.

Shepard quickly followed behind, heading to her cabin first to fetch her ice skates before leaving. To her dismay, she could not find them. Crestfallen, she realised that she may have only just imagined that she brought her skates with her.  

 

“Why the long face Shepard?” Joker pointed out, he was sitting next to EDI, his hand resting on her thigh.

“I could not find my skates.” Shepard’s voice gave it away. She was upset. She ordered a glass of some ice wine from the bar.

“You mean these?” Liara and Tali held up, both surprising her. Shepard bounded up to them and hugged them

“We found this really nice frozen over lake, perfect for you to skate Shepard!” Liara smiled as she handed them over to Shepard who changed into them quickly. Shepard realised how silly she looked, walking on thick ice skates balancing herself on her boyfriend in a bar.

 

The scene was so surreal. The frozen lake with the expanse of the universe in the background was not something you saw every day. Shepard took a deep breath. The suit protected her from the unreasonable cold of the planet but she pretended that she was without her suit. Shepard put her foot on the ice. Shepard’s feet touched the ice and she felt right at home. She pushed herself forward, feeling the wind rush past her suit. Stretching her arms open, she leaned forward and lifted a leg in the air. Slowly lowering her foot, she prepared to do a toe loop. Although it had been so long since she even skated, much less did tricks, her body remembered what to do. She landed on the ice perfectly. She imagined the looks of satisfaction from the judges as they wrote their comments.

There was no music playing but in her head, she was dancing to the rhythm of an old song. A song that means so much to her. Shepard no longer heard the wind, nor her squad’s chattering of her tricks. She heard only the sound of her steady heartbeat and the song from long ago.

As Shepard entered into a layback spin, she saw the stars whizz around and around. The world looked so dizzyingly perfect. As she spun, she felt the weight of the world melt away.

When she came to a stop, Shepard heard clapping from her squad. They stood on the edge of the frozen surface, clapping and cheering her on. She skated over to them, linking arms with the people on her sides. They continued the chain and stared up together at the stars. The mesmerising stars that represented planets all of them fought to protect. There was hope still for the universe.

**Author's Note:**

> Again, I will be trying to catch up with the stories I missed tomorrow! 
> 
> P.S: I love Mass Effect so much! When I am free, I would love to play it again!   
> P.P.S: Garrus is my ultimate favourite character of all time. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> Forgive me if there are any spelling/grammar errors, do leave comments and constructive criticisms for me!  
> Please let me know if you like what you're reading by leaving me a kudos and a comment!


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